Researchers Receive New Funding To Advance Promising Therapy For Multiple Sclerosis

A Canadian-led world investigation team, spearheaded by Dr. Fang Liu astatine nan Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) has received astir $800,000 US ($1,137,868 CAD) successful caller backing to beforehand a promising therapy for aggregate sclerosis (MS). Supported by Brain Canada, nan National MS Society's Fast Forward program, and Health Canada done nan Canada Brain Research Fund, nan task is processing a caller attack to curen that whitethorn halt illness progression and repair nervus harm and reconstruct function.

Around 2.8 cardinal group worldwide unrecorded pinch MS, a information successful which nan immune strategy attacks nan protective sheath (myelin) astir nervus fibers, disrupting connection betwixt nan encephalon and body. Symptoms specified arsenic fatigue, imagination problems, and mobility challenges originate erstwhile myelin is lost. While existent treatments tin slow illness activity, nary tin hole existing damage.

This caller therapy offers a different promise. It targets a destructive process known arsenic excitotoxicity, which harms nervus cells successful MS. By blocking this process, without interfering pinch normal encephalon function, nan curen encourages nan assemblage to rebuild myelin and amended nervus recovery. In animal models of MS, nan compound has already shown it tin reconstruct centrifugal skills and repair myelin, moreover erstwhile applied aft symptoms appeared.

The investigation team, led by main interrogator Dr. Fang Liu, Senior Scientist astatine CAMH and professor successful section of Psychiatry, U of T, successful collaboration Dr. Iain Greig, Reader successful Medicinal Chemistry astatine nan University of Aberdeen, is now entering nan last stages of preclinical testing to hole for early quality objective trials. If successful, this would people Canada's first regenerative curen for MS, and perchance different neurodegenerative diseases, offering caller dream for patients. CAMH and nan University of Aberdeen person patent protected this investigation and are actively seeking manufacture partners and investors to further beforehand this activity towards objective trials.

"Canada has 1 of nan highest rates of MS successful nan world, pinch an estimated 90,000 group surviving pinch nan disease. Our compound could toggle shape MS treatment, not conscionable slowing nan disease, but helping group regain what they've lost. I'm grateful for this caller backing to return america 1 measurement person to objective tests for this perchance life-altering treatment."

- Dr. Fang Liu, Senior Scientist, CAMH

"The imaginable of this therapy is enormous, not only could it extremity MS progression, but it could really thief repair damaged nerves and reconstruct immoderate functions already mislaid for group surviving pinch MS. Being capable to return this activity guardant offers america a unsocial measurement to reside nan guidelines causes of nan nervus harm we spot successful MS patients, and I'm excited by what this could mean for MS patients and others pinch neurodegenerative diseases. I'm thankful to CAMH, our partners, and nan backing agencies for making this possible, and for their belief successful nan powerfulness of this research."

- Dr. Iain Greig, Reader successful Medicinal Chemistry, University of Aberdeen

"CAMH is proud to beryllium starring this groundbreaking activity alongside our partners and contributors. As a world leader successful intelligence wellness and neuroscience research, we are profoundly committed to advancing attraction done innovation. By supporting nan commercialization of discoveries for illustration this, we tin accelerate nan translator of investigation into real-world treatments and present caller dream to group surviving pinch aggregate sclerosis and different neurodegenerative diseases."

- Dr. Aristotle Voineskos, CAMH Senior Vice President, Research and Science 

- Dr. Viviane Poupon, Brain Canada President & CEO

"We are pleased to spot investigation beforehand connected a pathway toward stopping MS progression successful its tracks and restoring usability to group pinch progressive MS."